US2570230A

US2570230A - Tappet adjusting tool

Info

Publication number: US2570230A
Application number: US714711A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hammond Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-12-07
Filing date: 1946-12-07
Publication date: 1951-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 1968-10-09

Description

Oct. 9, 1951 J. HAMMOND- TAPPET ADJUSTING TOOL Filed Dec. 7, 1946 Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE TAPPET ADJUSTING TOOL J Q QP ammon fi ckfi rd Application December 7, 1945, SerialNo. 714,711;

7 Claims. 8L

- This invention relates to tappet adjusting tools designed to facilitate the adjustment of tappets on valve-in-head engines, such as are used on Buicks and Chevrolets, these tools being, however, usable also wherever a similarly locked screw adjustment is employed.

' The principal object of my invention is to provide a tappet adjusting tool of relatively simple and inexpensive construction and substantially universally adaptable for use in adjusting the different sized tappet screws on engines of vari-- ous sizes and used on different makes of cars.

A, salient feature of my tappet adjusting tool is the provision of a centering sleeve cooperating with the screw driver bit to fit over the end of the screw and facilitate engaging the bit in the slot, together with a hold-down sleeve which rests on top of the wrench that is applied to the lock nut, whereby to hold the wrench securely throughout the adjusting operation so long as the operator has hold of the handle of the screw driver and keeps the screwdriver bit pressed down into the slot, thus enabling the operator to let go of the wrench while checking the tappet adjustment with a feeler gauge.

In the preferred form the centering sleeve is separate from and has a telescoping fit in the hold-down sleeve, and there is a relatively light coiled compression spring acting between the sleeves urging the centering sleeve in an outward direction, there being another relatively heavy coiled compression spring acting between the handle and the hold-down sleeve urging that l'erences in the extent to which the adjusting screw projects from the lock nut. On the other hand, I may provide a hook member slidable on the shank behind said spring and arranged to be hooked under the rocker arm so as to compress the spring and hold the tool in assembled working relation to the adjusting screw and the wrench on the lock nut on the rocker arm, and thereby relieve the operator of the necessity of applying the necessary downward pressure on the handle, the heavier sprin being kept compressed by thehook member to keep the hold-down sleeve holding the wrench in place and applying spring pressure through the other spring on the centering sleeve to keep it in operative relationship to the screw.

' The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which valves against the action of their springs.

thescrew driver bit 6.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through. a tanpet adjusting tool made in accordance with, my invention and shown in working position; i

' Fig. 2 is a view similar to the lower portion of Fig. 1, but. illustrating a modification; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Fig. .2.

Similar reference numerals are applied to cor;- respondingparts throughout the views.

The reference numeral 5 designates the s ank of the tool on the lower end of which the screw driver bit 6 is formed, adapted to be entered in the screw driver slot 1 provided in the upper end of the adjusting screw 8 that is threaded in the usual way in one end of a rocker arm 9 for adjustment. of the tappets' on a valve-in-head engine. While I have shown a screw driver bit. of conventional shape, it will be understood I may provide one adapted to work in a criss-cross slot,

or one of hexagonal form to work in a hex socket.

As is well. known, the rocker arms 9 oscillate with respect to a shaft Hi to depress the stems of the valves in the head, the end of one of'which stems is indicated in dotted lines at H, to open these The rocker arms 9 are operated by push rods. which have separate floating upper end sections l2 that have. sockets in their upper ends cooperating with the spherical lower ends I? of the adjusting screws. When a given valve is closed and the engine is operating at normal running temperature, there should be a certain small amount of clearance measurable with a feeler gauge between the finger M of therocker arm 9 and the end of the. valve stem 1 I. In adjusting a tappet, the

lock nut l5. threaded on the upper end portion of the. screw 8 must be loosened first so that the screw can be turned one way or the other for adjust.- ment relative to the rocker arm 9, and, considering the fact that the adjustment is usually made with the engine idling, it is obviously rather awkward to loosen and tighten the nut l5 and adjust the screw 8 and, between the loosening and tightening of the nut [5, check the clearance with the .feeler gauge while holding the screw 8 in an adjusted position, all while the engine is running. The tappet adjusting tool of m invention simplihe's the operation principally by holding the wrench 16 in place on the nut [5 while the clearance is being checked with the feeler gauge, the operator using one hand to hold the tappet ad'- just-ing tool by means of the handle H and holding the feeler gauge with the other hand. Then, as. soon asthe correct clearance has been obtained, the "wrench [6 can be turned to tighten the nut 15 while the screw 8 is held by means of 'The tool, in accordance with my invention, comprises a centering sleeve 18 slidable freely on the enlarged cylindrical lower end portion IQ of the shank 5, and a hold-down sleeve 20 slidable freely on the outside of the centering sleeve IS, the sleeve 18 having an inwardly directed annular flange portion 2| on its upper end which is arranged to have abutment with the annular shoulder 22 defined on the top of the enlarged portion l9, and the sleeve 20 having an inwardly directed annular flange 23 which serves as an abutment for a coiled compression spring 24 disposed inside the upper end portion of the sleeve 20 and bearing against the upper end of the sleeve l8 to urge the sleeve l8 normally downwardly relative to the screw driver bit 6, so that the flared lower end portion 25 of the bore of the sleeve l8 will cooperate with the upper end of the screw 8 to center the tool with respect to the screw 8 and thereby facilitate entering the bit 6 in the slot 1 of the screw. The flare 25 terminates in a counterbore 26 which is large enough in diameter to accommodate the largest sized adjusting screws 8 so that this one tool can be used substantially universally for tappet adjusting work and for other screw adjustments. The spring 24 is relatively light, and there is a relatively heavy coiled compression spring 2! surrounding the shank above the sleeve 20 between the handle l'! and the sleeve serving to press the sleeve 20 down firmly on top of the socket end 28 of the wrench l6 disposed in engagement with the nut 15, whereby to hold the wrench in engagement with the put under a relatively heavy spring pressure so long as the tool is in position for tappet adjustment. The lower end 29 of the sleeve 20 is enlarged radially sufficiently to engage the tops of wrenches of various diameters required with diiferent sized nuts 15. Now, it is obvious that in some cases the 'screw 8 projects farther from the top of the nut l5 than in others, and in order to adjust the sleeve 20 bodily relative to the sleeve l8 in either direction quickly, I have provided an adjusting nut 30 threaded on the threaded turns of this nut in one direction or the other will be enough to adjust the sleeve 2i! to whatever small extent may be necessary, the spring 24 in a downward adjustment of the sleeve 29 being easily compressed as the heavier spring is adjusted downwardly by the nut 30, and vice versa. The threaded upper end portion 3| of the shank 5 has diametrically opposed fins or splines 32 extruded therefrom to stake the shank 5 in the bore 33 of the handle I! to prevent turning of the handle relative to the screw driver bit 6 in an adjusting operation.

In Fig. 2, I have shown a hook 34 which is arranged to be engaged under the outer end portion of the rocker arm 9 next to the screw 8 to hold the tappet adjusting tool in operative position with the spring 2'! compressed by the right angle upper end portion 35 of the hook member,

which has a loose fit on the shank 5a and bears and then the handle I la is raised against the resistance of spring 2! far enough to permit 4 bringing the lower end of the tool into position over the screw 8 and nut l5, after which the tool is applied similarly as above described, the compressed spring 21 in this case serving to urge the tool toward the screw and nut to facilitate the application of the tool and thereafter hold the tool in the operative opsition. It is, therefore, far less fatiguing to the operator to work with this tool because he does not have to bear down on it against the resistance of the spring 21 to keep the tool in the operative position.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. A tool of the character described for use in adjusting a screw that is locked with a nut that is threaded thereon, said tool comprising a screw driver bit having a reduced coaxial upper shank portion, a screw-centering sleeve slidable on said bit and having an inwardly annularly shouldered upper end portion rotatable on the reduced shank and having a bore with a flared lower end portion adapted for centering engagement over the end portion of the screw, the screw-centering sleeve being limited by the bit end of the shank against displacement off the shank, a coiled compression spring surrounding said shank above the screw-centering sleeve and urging said screw-centering sleeve downwardly relative to said shank, a wrench hold-down sleeve in slidable telescoping relation to the centering sleeve and arranged with its lower end approximately in the same plane with the lower end of the centering sleeve but adapted to project slightly beyond said centering sleeve to hold down a wrench applied to the nut, and a second coiled compression spring on the shank above the hold-down sleeve urging the latter downwardly.

2. A tool of the character described for use in adjusting a screw that is locked with a nut that is threaded thereon, said tool comprising a screw driver bit having a coaxial shank portion, a sleeve slidable on the shank and having a bore with a flared lower end portion adapted for centering engagement over the end portion of the screw, means positively limiting endwise movement of said sleeve downwardly relative to said shank, a coiled compression spring surrounding said shank and urging said sleeve downwardly, a second and larger diameter sleeve in telescoping relation on said first sleeve for hold-down abutment on top of the end portion of a wrench applied to the nut on the screw, said second sleeve having an inwardly annularly shouldered upper end portion against the under side of which the upper end of the aforesaid coiled com pression spring has abutment, a second coiled compression spring on said shank bearing at its lower end on top of the annularly shouldered upper end portion of the second sleeve urging said second sleeve downwardly relative to said first sleeve, and means on said shank providing an abutment for the upper end of said spring.

3. A tool of the character described for use in adjusting a screw that is locked. with a nut that is threaded thereon, said tool comprising a screw driver bit having a coaxial shank portion, a sleeve slidable on the shank'and having an end portion normally projecting beyond the bit for engagement over the end'portion of a screw and serving to confine therebeneath a wrench applied to the nut while the screw driver bit is operatively engaged on the screw, a coiled com-, pression spring surrounding said shank and urging said sleeve outwardly, and a hook member in spaced substantially parallel relation to the shank and having a transverse upper end portion remote from the hook slidable on the shank and abutting the upper end of said spring remote from the sleeve.

4. A tool of the character described for use in adjusting a screw that is locked with a nut that is threaded thereon, said tool comprising a screw driver bit having a coaxial shank portion, a sleeve slidable on the shank and having an end portion normally projecting beyond the bit for centering engagement over the end portion of a screw, a coiled compression spring surrounding said shank and urging said sleeve downwardly, a second sleeve telescoping on the first sleeve and having a lower end portion arranged to confine therebeneath a wrench applied to the nut while the screw driver bit is operatively engaged on the screw, said second sleeve enclosing said spring and having an inwardly projecting annular shoulder in the upper end portion thereof abutting the upper end of said spring, a second coiled compression spring also surrounding said shank and urging said second sleeve downwardly for abutment of its lower end portion on top of the end portion of the wrench applied to the nut on the screw, and a hook member in spaced substantially parallel relation to the shank and having a transverse upper end portion remote from the hook slidable on the shank and abutting the upper end of said second spring remote from the sleeves.

5. A tool of the character described for use in adjusting a screw that is locked with a nut that is threaded thereon, said tool comprising a screw driver bit having a reduced coaxial upper shank portion, a screw centering sleeve slidable on said bit and having an inwardly annularly shouldered upper end portion rotatable on the reduced shank and having a bore with a flared lower end portion adapted for centering engagement over the end portion of the screw, the screw-centering sleeve being limited by the bit end of the shank against displacement oil the shank, a coiled compression spring surrounding said shank above the screw-centering sleeve and urging said a screw-centering sleeve downwardly relative to said shank, a wrench hold-down sleeve in slidable telescoping relation to the centering sleeve and arranged with its lower and approximately in the same plane with the lower end of the centering sleeve but adapted to project slightly beyond said centering sleeve to hold down a wrench applied to the nut, and a second coiled compression spring on the shank above the hold-down sleeve urging the latter downwardly, the centering sleeve spring being relatively light and the hold-down sleeve spring being relatively heavy.

6. A tool of the character described for use in adjusting a screw that is locked with a nut that is threaded thereon, said tool comprising a screw driver bit having a coaxial shank portion, a sleeve slidable on the shank and having a bore with a flared lower end portion adapted for centering engagement over the end portion of the screw, means positively limiting endwise movement of said sleeve downwardly on said shank, a coiled compression spring surrounding said shank and urging said sleeve downwardly, a second and larger diameter sleeve in telescoping relation on said first sleeve for hold-down abutment on top of the end portion of a wrench applied to the nut on the screw arranged with its lower end approximately in the same plane with the lower end of the centering sleeve but adapted to project slightly beyond the centering sleeve to hold down a wrench applied to the nut, a second coiled compression spring on said shank urging said hold-down sleeve downwardly relative to the centering sleeve, and means movable endwise relative to said shank and abutting the upper end of the second spring to vary the compression thereof and accordingly change the position of the hold-down sleeve endwise relative to the centering sleeve, or, when said sleeve is immovable by reason of engagement with a wrench, increase the spring loading thereon, the centering sleeve spring being relatively light and the hold-down sleeve spring being relatively heavy.

7. A tool of the character described for use in adjusting a screw that is locked with a nut that is threaded thereon, said tool comprising a screw driver bit having a coaxial shank portion, a sleeve slidable on the shank and having a bore with a flared lower end portion adapted for centering engagement over the end portion of the screw, a coiled compression spring surrounding said shank and urging said sleeve downwardly, means positively limiting movement of said sleeve downwardly on said shank, a second and larger diameter sleeve in telescoping relation on said first sleeve for hold-down abutment on top of the end portion of a wrench applied to the nut on the screw arranged with its lower end approximately in the same plane with the lower end of the centering sleeve but adapted to project slightly beyond the centering sleeve to hold down a wrench applied to the nut, a second coiled compression spring on said shank urging said hold-down sleeve downwardly relative to the centering sleeve, and means movable endwise relative to said shank and abutting the upper end of the second spring to vary the compression thereof and accordingly change the position of the hold-down sleeve endwise relative to the centering sleeve, or, when said sleeve is immovable by reason of engagement with a wrench, increase the spring loading thereon.

JOSEPH HAMMOND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,318,088 Klein Oct. 7, 1919 1,367,969 Holley Feb. 8, 1921 2,194,069 Gagne Mar. 19, 1940 2,276,470 Dodelin Mar. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 45,037 Switzerland Oct. 19, 1908 559,030 France June 6, 1923 312,835 Great Britain June 6, 1929